|
Just read the instructions so you make everything right, and you should be very pleased. I ordered white chocolate syrup, and raspberry syrup, and make my $5 Starbucks coffee for basicallly nothing. It works great, and as long as you have the syrups you want you really can't go wrong. I purchased this about a week ago from Target and am very pleased. Great little machine and you can not argue with the price. Now that I have a baby, it is just a habit I am not letting myself continue. I used to go to Starbucks twice a day ($10), then I cut back to once a day ($5). This machine has payed for itself in no time.
They arise from the fact that it seems the company has not actually used this product.The frothing wand leaves much to be desired. The back of the coffee scoop is supposed to act as a tamper, however, since it has rounded sides it fails miserably. I dont think this could be fixed without increasing the price, so no points off, but it is still a bit of a hassle. I bought this with a gift card, it was the only one available within the price range at target.This does pretty much what it advertises, but just not quite as good as it should. If you dont measure it correctly, you have to refill the reservoir, and wait for it to heat up the extra water before you can continue frothing/steaming. i would like to know. Then if you put too much in (as in, the amount suggested on the pitcher), you will need to grab a glass of water to release the extra pressure before you use it to brew again.Overall, the product does what is advertised, but HOW it performs the tasks could be improved.
It would be much nicer to have a bit more room to work with on the wand, it is too close to the body of the machine. Once the pitcher fills to the 4 cup line, i switch to frothing. How i have done this is i put a bit more water (at the mid line of the metal ring around the pitcher) in when i am getting ready to brew, and stand by the machine as it brews. The IMUSA machine seems to have a much better solution to this (and at the same price). These are simple things, that could be fixed without increasing the price.The switch between brewing and frothing can be a bit tricky to get down.
My issues do not arise from not including a tamper or frothing pitcher. If it were made with a completely flat bottom, with 90 degree sides, it would be A LOT more useful. Another reviewer did suggest putting a foam attachment onto the wand, which seems like a good idea, but where would one find this type of foam. You can not get a good microfoam on the milk, especially not with the frothing "aid" attached. I have not used it though, so i cant say for sure.
And yet I bought another one (duh), which has gotten really slow at brewing and the handle has fallen off the glass carafe. There are reviews online that other people have had this happen. I've bought two of these machines, since it is so easy to use and so cheap. The first one I had blew up - coffee grounds and broken glass all over the kitchen (and I in my bare feet in the morning.).
This machine comes apart easily and is very easy to maintain. This machine makes excellent coffee, has not pump to maintain, and my wife says it makes better coffee than the more expensive machine. The only problem my wife has run into with it is figuring out the steamer function, but that's likely just an issue of not reading the directions. We originally purchased a DeLonghi machine that was about 3 times the price of this one on sale. It worked for a dozen cups of coffee before dying, and was difficult to clean.
And there's lots of options for buying syrups to make flavored lattes online too--found 750mL bottles for $3.99 each. This espresso machine works great, and I couldn't believe that you could get one for such a low price--I've seen them sold in coffee shops for hundreds of dollars. Heat the milk in the microwave for about a minute before you foam it and it won't take as long, that way the steam just needs to foam it and doesn't need to heat it too.
|
